How does a customer find one of LA’s hottest fashion boutiques when there is no noticeable signage from the street, no apparent front door and the storefront is not gleaming with alluring fashions?
Just One Eye is located in an Art Deco building in central Los Angeles. The building was once known as the Los Angeles headquarters of Howard Hughes and it can be difficult to locate the Romaine Street entrance in the busy city. To find this deluxe fashion emporium, patrons must enter a lobby and travel down a long hallway. Inside the boutique, customers will see antique tables and some artwork including Takashi Murakami’s Nurse Ko2 and a Damien Hirst dot painting. Besides the art and décor, there are also unique fashion choices.
Unique Fashions and Items
Just One Eye features an exciting blend of apparel designed by the most prestigious fashion icons as well as jewelry, art and other exclusive items. While many people seek the latest fashions trends, this super chic fashion boutique offers a selection of Prada’s ready-to-wear challenging runway fashions that may not be found in most Prada stores. Just One Eye was one of the first stores to carry Damien Hirst’s $55,000 crocodile backpack. Not only that, they bought a dozen of these stylish bags and sold every single one of them. Shoe designer Christian Louboutin says the store has a very good point of view in fashion and they look for items that are both different and special.
The Latest Fashion Boutique in LA
Paola Russo is the co-founder of Just One Eye and works out of a small office on the second floor of the building. Russo was the former artistic director at Los Angeles’s famous Maxfield boutique and prides herself on their combination of fashion, performance and art. Russo says the journey wasn’t easy when Just One Eye opened nearly seven years ago. Things were slow at first because they had to actually convince the luxury brands to sell to them. “We didn’t have foot traffic, and nobody really wanted to sell to us,” she told the LA Times. “We were new. We were in this weird place that nobody knew.” However, an artistic flare and an eye for fashion made sure that didn’t last long. For marketing purposes, Russo often uses the attached warehouse roof outside her office as a ballroom or stage. The store once placed an orchestra on the roof and dressed dancers like special-ops forces while dropping actors from a helicopter by ropes. The stunt was done to announce Just One Eye’s “survival kit.” This $12,500 camouflaged emergency kit contained supplies such as a satellite phone, food and shelter for two people and a pet.
The store is also well-known for carrying high-end name brands as well as some lesser-known labels. The idea is to not carry items that are overexposed.
SP